Anna and the Shaman King
by Siobhan Terrace
Summary: A lovely batch of postshaman tournament fluffyness, ala stand alone oneshots of YohxAnna. The pleasantness that comes after. 6: Request: Grocery Set Up
1. Like This?

**Standard Disclaimers Apply**

* * *

Yoh turned very _strange_ after the Shaman tournament.

Well, so maybe that wasn't the best way to put it.

But he had suddenly become kind of _nervous_ around her.

Anna was no fool. She could see that, though she had drastically reduced his training, he still had a strange kind of anxiety looming over his person.

Yes, Anna cut the training. Though she still made him work quite hard, he already proved himself to her. He already gave her what she wanted. But he was still acting weird.

To which she was confused.

"Yoh," Anna said, sitting up straight in front of the table. "Come here."

"Hai, Anna?" He came in, and he didn't look directly at her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Whst's wrong?"

"Huh?" He looked at her with a tense expression. Normally he would be smiling at her, _relaxed_ like anything.

"I am _not_ stupid, Yoh. What's wrong?"

He faced her, but his discomfort was evident.

"Ok…" he sat down. "Uh… where to begin…"

"Yoh…" she said warningly. The _itako_ was impatient. She looked curiously at him.

_He's grown_, she suddenlythought with some satisfaction. He was taller, and his youthful face had become mature. Manly, if you please.

Anna herself had filled out, but what had changed was a piece of her personality. She was still strong and commanding, but there was something about her that was a bit _gentler_. She supposed it was because the Shaman tournament was finally over, so she could afford to mellow out.

The Shaman King cleared his throat.

"Um. OK. See, it's been four years since the Shaman fight ended—"

"_Five,_ Yoh. Five. Learn to count, please."

"—Yeah, and back then you were training me for it. It was your job as my fiancée. _Demo_…"

"_But,_ what?" she asked him, her eyebrow raised.

"Eh. You don't have to train me any more—"

"If _that's_ what this is about—"

"No, Anna, let me finish. Um. Well… I was thinking about…u-us…"

"…"

"I know our engagement was something prepared by _Oba-san_, but I really want you to have a _choice_, though I know you'd like an easy life—but, I mean, for _l-love_—" he rushed on, blushing furiously. "_Ano_… Anna… will you marry me?"

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.

"For _love_," he stressed.

She looked at him, and her facial features softened.

"You _love_ me?" she asked.

"…Yes…"

Anna felt light-headed.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"_Yes_."

"Yes…?"

"Yoh no baka! _Yes_, I will marry you. _And because I love you_."

He opened his mouth. "Anna—"

"_Yes_. I love you."

"…Then, I'm allowed to hug you?" He pulled her into a standing position. "Like this?"

She nodded.

"I'm allowed to hold you…" (He wrapped his arms around her. Anna never felt so warm before.) "…Like this?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"….And I can kiss you, right?" he looked at her. "Like th—"

Annasilenced him by kissing him herself.


	2. Nightmares, and the Reward for Having On...

Anna rarely had bad dreams. Most usually, she didn't dream much.

But when she _did _have nightmares, they were horrible. They were also incredibly vivid, so that she remembered them for days afterward.

Such was the one she was having then.

A lot of things contributed to the dream. Anna had her own fears (not that she'd ever show them), her own dark past (her parents _did_ abandon her…), her own… _problems_?

Well, that wasn't the word for it. More like _insecurities_, of a sort. Things that made her _vulnerable_.

It was those elements that brought her dark visions out.

As a result, Anna was groaning, kicking, struggling, and… _crying_.

"Anna… Shhh…. I'm here…."

Anna froze in a kind of mid-yell, which means she choked. In seconds she was fully aware of her… position.

Her fiancé had taken it upon himself to be concerned. Such was the volume of her cries. So, the sweet guy that he was, he went into her room and held her.

The scene must have looked odd, but nobody saw it anyway. Yoh was holding Anna, half out of the futon. Anna was trembling in his warm embrace.

An embrace, which she immediately rolled out of.

She looked at him with a horrified expression.

Anna, you see, was embarrassed that he had caught her in such a sorry state.

"Bad dream?" he asked, sympathetically. She scowled at his pity. It made her feel weak.

"…None of your business."

"Why not?" _I am your fiance, after all._ Those were left unsaid.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry."

"Well…. You didn't _sound_ fine."

She crossed her arms and looked away. "Leave me alone."

Yoh frowned. "Anna…"

She gave him a look of exasperation, but she was still shaky.

They sat in silence for a while, until she decided to speak up.

"Yes, I had a bad dream."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

He stared at her for a while. "You know, that's probably the first time I heard you _that_ scared. It must have been bad."

"Hmph."

"I don't think I could go back to my room with you feeling bad..."

She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"So, I'll just stay here until you feel better!" he said with a cheerfulness that could only come from him.

Anna felt both angry and weary, but she leaned towards weary instead.

"Fine, you just sit there while I sleep. But if I find you here in the morning, you're going to join Amidamaru in his lifestyle."

The threat caused him to sweatdrop, but he didn't get up from his position.

"Hmph," said Anna a second time; and then she went to sleep.

It was much easier for her to sleep then.

Yoh watched her for a while, until he was sure she was sound asleep. It was late, so he thought that he'd better go back to his own room. Anna did say she would kill him if he were still there in the morning.

But she didn't say anything about….

As he made his way back to his room, he couldn't help it.

He kissed her on the forehead.

* * *

This will be my last update for a while, because my brother needs to borrow my computer soon. For about a week or more, he said.

I'm not sure when he's coming by to pick it up, so either this is my last update or another chapter for _Dreamdays_.

But the next chapter of _Dreamdays_ is having trouble getting done, so I doubt it.


	3. Pretty Little Pillow

One afternoon, on his way to his usual visit to Yoh's house, Manta glanced half nervously beside him at the tall, Chinese cloth-clad male.

"So… why are _you_ going there to see them?" he asked, somewhat tentatively.

A few years of knowing each other didn't mean Manta wasn't slightly cautious around Ren. The guy did wield a huge spear while wearing an expression of perpetual irritation, after all, save for when he drank milk.

"…" Ren didn't reply at first, and Manta detected that he was embarrassed. His cheeks reddened ever so faintly, anyway. Ren shook it off quickly. "My sister wants me to send something to Yoh's _bakemono_-fiancee."

"Then why—"

"I don't know," Ren grumbled.

Manta blinked thoughtfully. He was going to ask whyJun would have her brother deliver something when the Tao family had literally hundreds of servants at their disposal.

They turned and walked up to the house.

"Hello, anyone home?" Manta greeted.

There wasn't any reply. Ren contemplated for a moment, and then Bason's ghost ball spoke up.

"The back yard, Master."

"Oh, Anna-_san_ must be making him do push-ups again," Manta said, shaking his head. _Poor Yoh_-kun.

He followed Ren towards the back, but then went _bump_ as Ren suddenly stopped.

"What's wr—" Manta began, but Ren turned around, this time _very_ obviously embarrassed.

"I'm coming back another time," he said abruptly.

"Eh? Why?"

"…"

Not taking the lack of answer well, Manta peered into the backyard and tripped. Yoh and Anna were there, all right. Anna was sitting cross-legged on the porch reading a book and Yoh was relaxing with the back of his head resting on his hands—his trademark.

Also, his head-in-his-hands rested on Anna's lap.

Manta didn't know what to think.

Anna nudged her fiancé. "You have guests."

Yoh opened one eye. "Eh? But I'm comfortable…" He promptly closed the eye and dropped back to sleep.

Anna looked up at Manta and Ren. "...He's a bit tired right now."

"A _bit_?" Manta sputtered.

Ren's eyes narrowed. "Because of another special training course, no doubt?"

Anna shrugged indifferently. "When he wakes up, he has fifty-eight push-ups left. If he continues to sleep _like that_—" she gestured him with one hand, meaning he was on her lap against her intentions. "—it'll be _a hundred _eight."

Manta and Ren winced. This was a very momentary distraction from their embarrassment. Thought they really couldn't fathom how Yoh had fallen asleep on her lap like that. Passed out, probably…

"I guess I'll come back later, then…" Manta said, turning to go. Anna promptly threw her book at his head with incredible aim. "_Itai_!"

"Go make dinner," Anna ordered. "I expect a hot meal when we're through here."

"Wha-a-at?" Manta exclaimed. "B-but _you_'ve been making dinner recently! You don't need me to—"

"_Baka_," Anna said severely, and pointed at the sleeping Asakura on her lap. Though it was true she disproved the myths of Kyoyama Anna being no cook a long time ago, she couldn't very well get up, now could she?

Manta couldn't argue with that, so he went into the house grumbling.

"And you?" Anna asked Ren, with one raised eyebrow.

"_Nee-sama_ wanted me to give this to you," he muttered, tossing her a package. Anna managed to catch it without bothering Yoh.

"Hmm," she said, looking at it critically. "It's the book she borrowed. _Arigato_."

Ren shrugged, and went on his way before Anna made him do chores.

He was still embarrassed, Anna could tell. She figured he still hadn't done much himself, and she smirked inwardly.

_Me, on the other hand_… she thought to herself, and before she could help it, she blushed. _Thank_ Kami _nobody can see_.

She looked down at Yoh, and her eyes widened in shock. He wasn't asleep anymore.

They stared deep into each other's eyes for a while.

"You're really pretty, Anna," Yoh said sincerely.

Anna blinked, and then stood up very suddenly. With a resound _thud_, Yoh landed painfully unto to wooden porch.

"OW!"

"You still have fifty-eight push-ups," she told him resolutely.

"Awww, Anna…"

"Go. Now."

Yoh did, but he hid a grin. Anna _didn't _punish him for sleeping on her lap like that, you see, like she told Ren and Manta she would.

Not that he was _really_ asleep, though.


	4. Assortment of Realizations

"Ne, Anna." _Thoughtful, casual._

"Yes?" _Cool, collected._

"You were a bit unfair to Manta…" _A light suggestion._

"Was I?" _A heavy warning._

"Ah…iie, never mind…" _A retreat._

_Anna smiled to herself, as Yoh cleared the dishes without being ordered to. Manta managed to leave before Anna could put him to work, so her fiancé paid the price._

_She settled in front of the television._

* * *

"Anna, I'm done…" Yoh said, wearily making his way into the room. He stopped. "Anna…?"

His fiancée did not hear him, for she had fallen asleep in front of the TV. Owing to past experiences, Yoh stooped down to check that she was sleeping. One look at her face told him that she was.

* * *

Anna woke up in her bed. She was slightly alarmed at first, because her memory didn't inform her of how she got there. But then she realized how, and she pursed her lips at the thought that she had fallen asleep when it hadn't even been that late or anything. She supposed that she had just been a little more tired than usual, owing to her new habit of trips to town or long walks.

"Anna, I have a question," Yoh began, tentatively.

Anna looked at him, letting him know that she was listening.

"Well, it's more of a request, see…."

"Spit it out, _Yoh-no-baka."_

"Eh… would you smile for me?"

Now it was Anna's turn to go, "Eh?"

"Eh?" said Anna.

"Ahhh… I don't remember ever seeing you smiling for me. That's all."

"And this…bothers you?"

Yoh hesitated, but then nodded.

"Too bad."

"Eh?"

Yoh sweat dropped. Anna wasn't going to smile for him? Aw…

He was disappointed, and even Manta noted that he seemed a bit bothered that day.

* * *

"You know, Amidamaru," Yoh said that night to his guardian spirit. "It did bother me, but Anna's smiled for me before, hasn't she? I just never see her."

Anna, who had been nearby, unseen, and smiling, immediately clapped a hand to her mouth.

_Dammit._

* * *

**Notes on the next chapter, it's 12:00 AM and I'm tired. _Oyasumi._**

**_PS: Yes, i know this is weird. _**


	5. Jealousy? What's That?

**I am supposed to be doing homework but I owe you guys an explanation for going AWOL and then coughing out a crappy chapter.**

**That said, meaning I have in fact noticed about what I was doing, let's go on with the one-shots. Just know that I intend to make this at least eight one shots in this collection, and though none are really connected, I will put in a concluding kind of end story.**

**(If I go AWOL again, or if there is a lapse in updates, please don't kill me. I have my reasons. Yes, I'm lazy, but I also have a personal life. Thank you.)**

* * *

"You look bothered, Yoh-kun," Manta told his friend gently on the way home from school.

By 'bothered', Manta meant that Yoh did not look as cheerful or as easy-going as he usually did.

"Bothered?" Yoh looked puzzled first, but he acknowledged the realization. Still, he played dumb. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… you know… you don't seem _happy_ today," Manta said, scrunching up his face in an effort to articulate. "Whatsamatter?"

Yoh stopped (with his mouth about to reply), thought about it, and then clamped his mouth shut, looking faintly embarrassed.

"It…it's nothing…"

Manta gave him a half-patronizing, half-suspicious look. "Aw, come on—what's wrong?"

Yoh was silent. Manta tried a different tactic.

"I thought we were _friends_!"

Actually, he wasn't fooling anyone, but Yoh spilled in the end.

"It's Anna," he said finally.

"Eh? What she do _now_?"

"Nothing like that," Yoh said quickly. "It's different."

"Different…how?"

"Uh…"

Here Yoh stalled again. Manta gave him such a hurt look that he sighed and gave in.

"Do you know that guy in our class… Taro?"

"Nouzuma-_kun_? Yeah…"

"He..._HeaskedAnnaout_."

"Eh? What?"

"He—asked—Anna—_out_."

(It took a while for it to register that Nouzuma was, in fact, a new student. Therefore he was forgiven if he thought he could ask Kyouyama Anna out on a date.)

"What'd she say?" Manta finally asked, after thinking it over with a kind of beaten look on his face. "Don't tell me she said yes."

"…She didn't," Yoh said, kicking a pebble. "And she told him about being engaged to me, then he said something about not believing her, and… I think you know why he's been at the nurse's office since…"

Being no stranger to Anna's strength, Manta winced.

"So…why does this bother you, then?"

"Eiha…" (here Yoh looked anywhere but at Manta) "I dunno. It really bothered me."

"Bothered you?"

"Bothered me. Yeah." He paused, and then added as an afterthought, "I dunno why…"

Manta looked at him with a concerned frown, scrunched up his face into realization, and then burst out laughing. Yoh looked at him, panicked.

"What? What is it?" Yoh asked, worried. Manta sniggered.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe you were jealous?"

"Jealous?" A big, puzzled question mark hung over his head.

"Of some other guy that Anna-_san_ might like," Manta pressed, though now he was also embarrassed. He was never an expert at the whole relationship thing.

Yoh looked stricken. "Anna likes someone!"

The hurt look on his face was priceless.

Manta sighed. "Let's walk you through this _very_ slowly…"

* * *

**I will be editing everything before the next chapter. Hang in there, guys…**


	6. The Grocery SetUp

**Request by Sireen, therefore dedicated to her.**

**also dedicated to tin: because i enjoyed your fic, _Black Heart_.**

_Standard disclaimers apply._

* * *

Considering that her fiancé was extremely lazy, Anna didn't suspect a thing when he got the groceries wrong the third time around. She punished him severely (Yoh swears his muscles are so numb with the pain that he does not need painkillers) and then flatly announced that she would go with him next time. 

She wondered how her idiot of a fiancé became more of an idiot when she saw a giant kiwi fruit in the place of the cucumbers she asked for.

Anyway, the unsuspecting Anna went with him the following week. They walked side by side, Yoh looking more cheerful than usual. She raised her eyebrow a bit but let it by.

(_the goofy grin is rather cute_)

They reached the grocery in good time. The girl at the cashier seemed a little put out that her favorite customer was attached, but she still admitted that they made a good couple.

(_well, they _look_ like one anyway_)

They left in good time as well. Yoh apologized to one of the innocent customers who attempted to hit onwith Anna.

_(though if Anna didn't slap him senseless for what he did, _Yoh_ might have…)_

It was on their walk back home that Yoh tripped and sent many a grocery item flying. Anna punched him swiftly, though Yoh was tempted to point out that it probably wouldn't have happened if he had not been carrying _all four_ bags of groceries.

"Hey Anna, let's stop for a bit here," Yoh suggested innocently. He was grateful that the empty bags covered his face, so if she glared or anything he wouldn't be facing her directly…

She certainly looked like she was going to protest. But then she shrugged, and supposed they needed to gather their bearings for a bit. Four bags of groceries must not go to waste.

Anna sat down at a bench. Yoh put the grocery bags on one side while she scanned the area for any runaway fruit and such. She prodded Yoh and made him get the ones that had scattered.

When he was done, she stood up.

"No, wait!" he said. "Let's stay a while."

She blinked. "No. I'm hungry—"

"No, come on!"

She was startled. She sat down, suspicious.

Yoh's face relaxed, and he sat next to her. She waited patiently for an explanation, but he didn't offer any.

"Yoh…" her voice had a warning tone.

"Yes?"

"What are we doing here?"

"…hmmm….ah, there we go," said Yoh, and something in his voice made her look at what _he_ was looking at. Her eyes widened _very_ slightly.

The sun was plunging slowly downward, painting the sky a marvelous blend of orange, pink, and red. She could even see some purple patches on the farther sides of the sky. Needless to say, it was _beautiful._

"Yoh…"

"Yes?" Now he looked at her, obviously pleased with himself.

She whacked him on the head. Hard. "Next time, just _ask_ if you want to go for a walk."

"Ow…" he rubbed his head.

She stood up and turned away, but her eyes softened and her hand brushed his in the process. "And… thank you."

His grin was far too wide for his own good.

* * *

Hope you like it, Sireen. >w 


End file.
